I am about to start studying this piece, and I was wondering what the average tempo taken was (especially at the beginning!). My copy begins with a line of staccato 16ths with a tempo marking of quarter note= 200. This seems just slightly impossible to me! Is this right? If any one of you has played this piece, I would appreciate your input... thanks!

Erin wrote:
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I am about to start studying this piece, and I was wondering what the average tempo taken was (especially at the beginning!). My copy begins with a line of staccato 16ths with a tempo marking of quarter note= 200. This seems just slightly impossible to me!
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Having heard it ...
Sounds about right. Glad <B>I'm</b> not trying to play it :^)

The opening is a cadenza. Actually it is pretty slow 16ths.
Maestoso is the tempo marking. Take your time, and make it musical. take it around 60 for Quarter - with intensity.
I make an accompaniment to this piece (btw)
at
http://www.mytempo.com

Mark Charette wrote:
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Erin wrote:
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I am about to start studying this piece, and I was wondering what the average tempo taken was (especially at the beginning!). My copy begins with a line of staccato 16ths with a tempo marking of quarter note= 200. This seems just slightly impossible to me!
-------------------
Having heard it ...
Sounds about right. Glad <B>I'm</b> not trying to play it :^)

Louis Moyse(flutist) advises a good thing how to play a fast chain of 16th or 32nd notes.Just find anchor point tone(first note of the chain) and think other notes like emberishments.This makes players feel at ease.This is very true when the chain consists of odd number,13,15,or 17.

Tempo at start around 72 (+ or - a few beats) is good and should be played with much expression, rubato, etc. Accellerando should be a dramatic change from the slower start.
Start cadenza slowly and gradually increase to very fast at end.
6/8 Tempo marking at 160. Take it slower (132-144) if you have to in order to keep the trips under control--8ths should be steady.
The last sextuplet section tempo marked at 112.
Go for the high notes at the end and have fun with this very delighting showpiece for clarinet.
My tempos come from the Neil A Kjos Edition, arr George Waln.

Hiroshi,
I think that the connection between the US and Asia must be slow at times, since your posts "stutter". Wait a bit longer for the main page to re-appear before hitting that "post" button again - most of the time the info is getting to the server, but the response is slow.

A very delightful piece that is, in the end, not quite as hard as it looks if you are very familiar with your scales and arpeggios. In general, though, all of the marked tempi are much too fast. For the Adagio section, I literally change the quarter note in the tempo marking to an eighth note, cutting the tempo in half - use this as a reference for the "fastest" part of the runs - that is, start even slower than that. The whole Adagio section is pretty much a cadenza - up to and including the written cadenza. The piano does play throughout, though, so careful communication with your accompaniast is essential. Take the final section no faster than you can manage well - don't worry too much about the marked tempo (again, you can get away with half!). It's more imressive to play this piece cleanly than it is to do it quickly and stumble.

For more insight into performing italian music, listen to Rossini overtures - many of them have a rubato introduction and a rousing ending. I also find the Cavellini Caprices fun to play.

HIROSHI wrote:
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Mark:Sorry.
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No problem. I don't like to delete them out since it levaes a gap in the numerical sequence, and then I have to explain <b>why</b> there's a hole :^)

"Ernesto Cavallini maight be called the "Paganini of the Clarinet!" He was reputed to have the most brilliant technique of any clarinetist. The Adagio and Tarantella is great fun to play. It is a very bombastic virtuoso piece which uses the instrument to its fullest capacity.

You will need an expressive rubato for the Adagio. Don't play it too fast. All the dynamics should be exaggerated. Don't rush into the Tarantella. Opportunities for the velocity occur soon enough!

.....(He cites an optional ornamentation for measures 104 and 108.)

Don't be afraid of corny. Ham it up and make it truly grandiose. The ending must be as brilliant as possible. Pull out all the stops!"

Erin,
quarter note at 200?! That's seems ways too fast! The opoening movmnet is introducing the adagio so why would it be so fast? On my music it's marked quarter note equals 84. My teacher has me play it with more rubato than what's written. I started mf and slightly slower then I slightly accel until the middle of the second measure and retard just a bit. I guess it can be played more relaxed.

FYI:Rubato has the same etymology with the English robbery.If we rob certain time from other place, we have to return it somewhere. If we do not do this,the accompanist cannot play piano in tempo with the soloist.(I-play- this-way-you-play-what-you-like situation.)